1( ; S T 1 1 !•; J (J I H N A r, ( ) F }} ( Ji' AX Y 



TiiR GfinJ/'ii lias recently printLHl a correspondence relating- to the 

 name Judas Tree, as applied to Ccrcis Sil/qurfsfntm, which Dr. Hems- 

 lev and Mr. H. S. Thompson contend should be construed as " the 

 Tree of Judaea " and thus has no reference to Judas. Mr. Thompson 

 cites in support of his view Ririera Nature Notes by " C. C. " — /. e. 

 the Uev. Georijfe Edward Comerford Casey (1816-1912) — a delightful 

 book, the two editicnis of which w^ere noticed in this Journal for 

 1S:)9 (p. 95) and 190J? (p. 1(30) respectively. As was there shown, 

 ]\Ir. Casey's derivations of plant-names, Latin and English, were 

 original rather than trustworthy, and there seems no reason for 

 accepting his dictum in this case, although we have failed to find any 

 legend which definitely connects the tree with the fallen apostle. 

 According to the O.vforJ E)ifflish Dictiouarj/, the name first a])peared 

 in literature in 1G6H, but it wdll be found in Gerard's Herbal (lo97) : 

 Gerard indeed seems to have bestowed the English name, and his 

 reference to the legend shows that it then existed : " it is commonly 

 called in Latin uirhor Iinl(B ... it may be called in English ludas 

 tree, whereon ludas did hang himself e, and not upon the Elder tree, 

 as it is saide " (p. 1240). It may be noted that Gerard makes no 

 reference to the occurrence of the tree in Syria ; the localities he gives 

 are all European. The elder-tree tradition is mentioned by Piers 

 Plowman, and we have a record from Kent that the elder is still 

 called Judas Tree in that county. For legends connecting the hang- 

 ino" of Judas with other trees reference may be made to Plant Lore 

 Legends and Lj/rics by Richard Folkard, p. 394 (1SS4). Parkinson 

 {ParadisKS, 1629) has a charming description of Cercis which, he 

 says, "is generally in these dayes called Arhor Liida, and in English 

 after the Latine name, untill a fitter may be had, ludas Tree " (p. 438). 



We have no intention of starting a "poets' corner" and have 

 indeed more than once declined contributions in verse ; but the 

 following lines from the JEvening News of April 21; commemorating 

 as they'do a plant not often sung and the extraordinarily late season 

 which made it a conspicuous object up to the beginning of May on the 

 railway banks round London, seem worth reprinting : — 



" When sprinj? at last is making g-ood, 



And mends her laggard pace, 

 Before the primrose by the wood 



Has shown her pretty face, 

 I have a sure and certain sign — 

 The coltsfoot by the railway lino. 

 " He has a i-ather tousled air, 



His leaves are less than few ; 

 But if he hasn't brushed his hair. 



His face is washed with dew. 

 Like yellow gems his blossoms sliine 

 Among the cinders by the line. 



" He lives in places rude and waste, 

 As hapi)y astnay be ; 

 Some say this shows a lack of taste - 



I call it modesty. 

 I love this sjjringtide pal of mine - 

 Tlie coltsfoot by the railway line. 



C. E. B." 



